What happens on the trip stays on the trip

Wed, 2006-11-01 20:33

Germs bug travelers. So do bed bugs, which four percent of travelers have experienced in a hotel room. Those are among the findings of a survey from TripAdvisor, a website devoted to reviews of hotels, vacations and other things travel-related.

TripAdvisorâ™s poll of nearly 4,000 travelers found that:

âTwenty-four percent of travelers wonâ™t leave home without disinfectants and/or cleaning supplies, shower shoes, their own pillow, sheets and pillow cases, even their own towels. Travelers from the U.S. are more than twice as concerned as travelers from the U.K.

âFour percent of travelers are likely to do something illegal on a trip that they wouldnâ™t normally do at home

âTen percent of travelers have stayed at a clothing-optional or adults-only resort, and two percent want to but their spouse or significant other inhibits them

âSeventy-five percent of travelers think a clean restroom makes an airport great, while 28 percent said their worst hotel experience was a dirty bathroom

âSixteen percent of travelers checked their work e-mail or voicemail at least once daily on their last vacation

âEighty-one percent of travelers plan to drive for leisure trips this year versus 71 percent a year ago

âFewer travelers this yearâ47 percentâintend to visit a spa. Last year, the number was 55 percent

âForty-three percent are likely to go hiking while on vacation; more women than men plan to participate in outdoor activities in 2007.

âœPerhaps the most intriguing discovery is that adventures in the great outdoors has trumped luxuriating at the spa,â says Michele Perry, TripAdvisorâ™s communications director. Sound like an argument for ecotourism? Yes, but only if you can drive there.